Race car luggage and/or cooler device

ABSTRACT

A piece of luggage is formed in the shape of a racing automobile and employs a paint and sticker scheme of a particular racing team. The luggage includes a frame that has sidewalls that include radial extensions. Zippers are arranged about the luggage to allow access to the various compartments arranged in the respective hood area, canopy region and passenger compartment of the piece of luggage. In an alternative embodiment, the invention is formed as a cooler.

The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/201,122 on Dec. 8, 2008.

The instant application did not receive any federal research and/ordevelopment funding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the present invention relates to luggage, coolers or othersuch moveable storage devices. More specifically, the invention is apiece of luggage, cooler, or device that includes an extendible handleformed in the shape of a front bumper of a racing car. Wheels or replicawheels are provided along at least one side or end of the device foreasy movement of it. For purposes of this application, the various partsof the device are oriented as if the device were an automobile.Likewise, the representations with respect to the dimensions of thevarious parts of the device are taken with respect to the various partsor areas of an automobile. That is, the following disclosure orients thedevice according to a driver side, a passenger side, a front end and aback end when viewed from within the device. Likewise references aremade with respect to the size of a storage area as extending from trunkarea to the location of the firewall between the passenger compartmentand the engine compartment in an automobile.

NASCAR® racing is the most popular sport in the United States.Currently, the NASCAR® schedule extends from February through November.Each racing team typically has a plurality of automobiles that employ aparticular paint scheme of a sponsor or a particular paint scheme andstickers displaying sponsor's name arranged on an exterior of theautomobile. There are subtle differences in the various shapes of thedifferent manufacturers and the various makes of the automobiles. Thepresent invention is directed towards a piece of luggage, a cooler, orother such device having an overall appearance of a scale model of aNASCAR® type race car. The shape of the invention may vary slightlybetween the different automobile manufacturers who sponsor of thevarious NASCAR® teams. In one embodiment, the luggage is preferablyformed from an outer covering of material such as nylon or otherrip-stop material and a plastic frame that supports the outer coveringof material. Subtle changes to the shape of the luggage may be made tovary the appearance between the various NASCAR® automobile makes andmodels. For example, the luggage may be provided in a scaled model of aFord®, Chevrolet®, Pontiac®, or Toyota® automobile with an appropriatenumber and color scheme to reflect the automobile type of a NASCAR®fan's favorite driver. In an additional embodiment, the device is formedwith at least one cooler compartment, preferably having a drain plug andcap and a shaped cover. The cooler compartment receives ice, drinks, orother items that are cooled. This compartment may be either soft-sidedor formed from hard, rugged insulating material. The cooler size mayvary from a pocket book size that holds at least a few cans or bottlesand having a cooling means such as ice or other cooling inserts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the first embodiment, a piece of luggage includes a first zipper thatsecures a first flap that is arranged to close a first compartment forstoring clothing or other items. This first flap is arranged to appearas an automobile hood that includes a pivot or hinge point arrangedbelow the “windshield” area of the luggage or substantially above adivider that separates the first compartment from a second compartment.The first zipper extends along the driver side of the first flap, acrossthe front of the luggage above the extendible handle, and along thepassenger side of the first flap. When the first zipper is unzipped, thefirst flap may be raised similar to an automobile hood to expose thefirst compartment.

A second zipper is the shortest and is arranged within the canopy regionof the roof area of the luggage to provide for a second smallercompartment that may be utilized to store toiletries and smaller items.A third zipper is the longest zipper and is provided along the bottom ofthe canopy support members and arranged such that the canopy may beflipped open to expose a larger third compartment when the third zipperis unzipped. The third compartment is the largest of all three andextends from the trunk area to the firewall area; while the firstcompartment extends throughout the engine compartment area. A nettingmay be provided to act as a divider to separate the various compartmentssuch that a user may easily identify the articles stored in the anothercompartment when the canopy is flipped open. In an alternative version,a clear plastic window may be incorporated into the divider between thecompartments for viewing purposes.

The luggage is provided with soft sides but plastic strips of supportingframe material may be sewn into the various regions of the luggage tostiffen the sides of the protective compartments and covers in order toprotect clothing and other articles stored within the compartments ofthe luggage and provide a supported automobile shape when nothing isbeing maintained within the luggage. For instance, a hood-shaped stripof plastic may be included in the luggage for providing support for thefirst cover. Likewise, the body area of the luggage that forms thelargest compartments may be formed from plastic, and the canopy shapedcover may include a hardened portion that comprises a car roof top area,a windshield area, a back glass area, a passenger side area, and adriver side area.

In a second embodiment, the device is a cooler that includes a coolingcompartment having all sides formed from an insulating material.Internal and external shells of plastic sandwich a hard internal core offoam. The cooler is formed from a thermally insulating material such asfoam. The external shape of the cooler is in the form of an automobileand having an appropriate paint scheme and number corresponding to aracing fan's favorite driver. The insulating material may comprise awaterproof layer and other layers of material that restrain coldtemperatures within the cooling compartment while resisting externalhotter temperatures. In a larger version of the second embodiment, thedevice includes wheels and a handle for towing purposes. Cup holders maybe included in the roof the car. A drain plug may be incorporated fordraining water or other fluids from within a cooling compartment of thecooler. The front wheels of the cooler may traverse left and right byincluding an axel. The license plate or bumper may be personalized andextends to operate as a handle by which the cooler may be pulled. Allwheels on the cooler may roll.

It is an object of the invention to provide a piece of luggage that isrepresentative of a scaled model of a paint and sticker scheme of aracing team. The luggage has large compartments to accommodate thestorage and transportation of suits, shirts, and dresses.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cooler formed in theshape of a racing automobile and including at least one coolingcompartment. The cooler having a paint scheme and sticker schemerepresentative of a NASCAR® driver's automobile.

The above and further objects, details and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description, when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A & 1B are perspective views of the luggage with all zippersclosed and the handle retracted.

FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the luggage with the largest twocompartments shown open.

FIG. 3A is an overhead view of the luggage with the handle extended.FIG. 3B is a side view of the luggage.

FIG. 4 is an overhead view showing a frame member for the hood.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a frame member that forms the sidewalls ofthe luggage.

FIG. 6 shows a frame member for the roof or canopy of the luggage.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show perspective views of the second embodiment of theinvention being practiced as a cooler. FIG. 7C shows a cross sectionview of the internal and external plastic shells that sandwich a hardfoam core.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the invention and the various features andadvantageous details thereof are more fully explained with reference tothe non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/orillustrated in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the followingdescription. It should be noted that the features illustrated in thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the features of oneembodiment may be employed with the other embodiments as the skilledartisan recognizes, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptionsof well-known components and techniques may be omitted to avoidobscuring the invention. The examples used herein are intended merely tofacilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may bepracticed and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments set forth hereinshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which isdefined by the appended claims. Moreover, it is noted that likereference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-6 depict a first embodiment ofthe invention. In a first embodiment, the device 1 includes a frame 45comprising lightweight, molded plastic and includes elongated sidemembers that include a pair of radial extensions 46. The frame 45 isoverlaid with synthetic, flexible material 11 to form the appearance ofthe body of a NASCAR® automobile. The radial extensions 46 are overlaidwith a black material to form the appearance of automobile tires. Theradial extensions 46 are offset inward with respect to than theremaining regions of the sidewall of the frame. The frame 45 may becreated from a thermoset or thermoplastic material that is formed,molded, or extruded in a particular shape to provide a realistic look ofa racing automobile. Metals and composite materials may also be utilizedfor constructing the frame. The exterior cover 11, preferably ofrip-stop material, is overlaid onto and fastened to the frame viapermanent stitching or other such fastening means. The exterior covermay comprise ballistic nylon or Cordura nylon. The exterior coverincludes zippers or other fasteners for allowing access to an interiordefined by the device. Dyes may be added to the various parts of thecover to change the coloration of each to mimic a realistic look. Thevarious plastics used in creating the frame may include one or more ofpolyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene or anyother moldable material that may be formed in a unitary shape. Thematerial comprising the cover is impervious to cleansers and easilywithstands the pressure of blows to protect anything deposited withinthe luggage.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the device 1 includes a first cover 5 formed in theshape of an automobile hood. The cover 5 includes a frame member 40, asshown in FIG. 4 formed of rigid plastic material. The frame member 40includes a front side that is arcuate and shorter than the rear sidewhich is also arcuate. Two curved areas connect the front side to thelongitudinal sides of the frame member as shown. Zipper 21 surrounds thefront and longitudinal sides of the cover 5. A pivot region operates toallow the cover 5 to be lift similar to a hood of an automobile toexpose a first storage cavity 13, as shown in FIG. 2

The device further includes a handle 2 that may be extended by pushing arelease 3. Release 3 includes catch 4, more clearly shown in FIGS. 3A,3B, which secures the handle 2 in place when engaged. When disengaged,the handle 2 extends outward as shown and the front end of the luggagemay be raised such that the luggage can be pulled with the handle 2 andwheels 30.

A second cover 10 is arranged as shown and includes a rigid frame member42 that comprises a square shaped car roof area. A windshield area andback glass are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the car roofarea. A driver side window and passenger side window are arrangedopposite one another on the remaining sides of the car roof area. Zipper23 allows access to the largest compartment 12. A smaller zipper 22 isarranged on the cover 11 atop the car roof area for allowing access to asmaller storage area.

As can be recognized by FIG. 2, the pivot point for the secondcompartment 12 may be arranged on the passenger side of the automobileas depicted. Otherwise, it may be arranged at various other areas aroundthe cover 10. FIG. 5 shows the frame member that includes the sidewallsthat form the compartments 12, 13. Elongated sidewalls 45 include thearcuate elements 45 as shown.

In a second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the device 1 may becreated from a thermoset or thermoplastic material that is formed,molded, or extruded in a particular shape to provide a realistic look ofa racing automobile. In this embodiment, the device operates as a coolerand may include an externally hardened shell of plastic material 75.Dyes and stickers may be added to the exterior of the cooler to mimic arealistic look of a particular paint scheme and look of a fan's favoritedriver. The various plastics used in creating the cooler may include oneor more of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene andpolystyrene or any other moldable material that may be formed in aunitary shape.

FIG. 7A shows a first perspective view of the cooler embodiment. In thisinstance, the cooler is equipped with two internal cavities. The firstcavity is the largest and includes an opening cover that issubstantially shaped in the shape of a car roof and having at least apair of cup holders 98 arranged therein. This first cavity extends fromthe trunk region of the cooler all the way to where the firewall wouldbe in an automobile. The cooler may be soft-sided and configured withframe members as discussed in the first embodiment with respect to theluggage. Otherwise, it may be formed with an internal and externalshell; each formed in substantially the same shape with the internalshell being smaller in size than the external shell. A harden foam 76may be provided between the internal 75 and external 76 shells forproviding thermal insulation properties. Drain plug 99 is provided fordraining liquids from within the largest cavity.

The cover may be formed in a similar manner with the cup holders beingmolded into the internal and external shells. A first handle 95 isprovided on the cover 5 for aiding in opening it. A second handle 96 isprovided on the cover 10 for opening purposes. As can be understood whenviewing FIG. 7B, each cover includes a hinge on one side thereof. Thefirst cavity is waterproof and will contain liquids therein. Thewaterproof nature of the first cavity is necessary for preventing waterfrom leaking from the cooler's first cavity when ice is used as acooling means in the first cavity.

A divider 88 separates the first and second cavities. The divider iswaterproof and may include thermally insulating materials therein suchthat the second cavity is maintained at a warmer temperature than thefirst cavity. Otherwise, the divider may just act as only a waterseparation membrane. That is, ice water is maintained in the firstcavity, but the ice water lowers the temperature of the second cavitydue to thermal properties of the divider. As can be recognized by FIG.7C, the cooler 1 may be formed from an internal plastic shell 75, anexternal plastic shell 77, and a hardened core of foam 76 arranged therebetween.

While the invention has been described with respect to preferredembodiments, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative and not in limiting sense. From the above disclosure ofthe general principles of the present invention and the precedingdetailed description, those skilled in the art will readily comprehendthe various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible.Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by thefollowing claims and equivalents thereof.

1. A piece of luggage formed in the shape of an automobile and havingthree compartments for storing articles, said piece of luggageincluding: an extendible handle having an elongated member that extendssubstantially across an entire width of a front end of the luggage andformed in a scale model of a front bumper of the automobile, saidextendible handle being attached to the piece of luggage by a pair ofsliding members that are nested within the luggage when the handle isnot extending; a frame having a top edge, a bottom edge, a front end, aback end and two sides, said frame comprising a contiguous sidewallarranged within said luggage, said frame having a pair of radialextensions arranged at the bottom edge of each side; an exterior coverhaving a number and a color and sticker scheme representative of aracing team; a first zipper arranged at a front end of the luggage andproviding access to a first cavity formed at the front end of the frame;a second zipper arranged in a central region of the luggage andproviding access to a second cavity that is larger than the firstcavity; and, a third zipper arranged atop the luggage to provide accessto a third cavity that is smaller than the second cavity.
 2. The pieceof luggage of claim 1 wherein the exterior cover comprises dyes andstickers that mimic a realistic look of a paint scheme and look of afan's favorite driver.
 3. The piece of luggage of claim 1 furthercomprising one or more materials selected from a group consisting ofpolyvinyl chloride, polyethylene; polypropylene and polystyrene.
 4. Thepiece of luggage of claim 1 wherein at least said frame is formed from athermoset or a thermoplastic material.
 5. The piece of luggage of claim1 wherein said exterior cover comprises ballistic nylon or Corduranylon.
 6. The piece of luggage of claim 1 further comprising a pair ofwheels arranged at a rear end of the luggage.
 7. A car shaped coolercomprising: a scaled body shaped substantially in the shape of anautomobile, said body forming a cavity into which items to be cooled areplaced, said cavity having an access opening; a hinged cover that sealsthe cavity of the body; at least one pair of wheels arranged on a backside of the car shaped cooler; and, a handle having an end formed in theshape of an automobile bumper and being extendable from the bottom ofthe cooler.
 8. The cooler of claim 7 wherein said scaled body comprisesan external shell, an internal shell and foam arranged there between. 9.The cooler of claim 7 wherein said cover includes at least a pair of cupholders formed therein.
 10. The cooler of claim 7 having an exteriorwherein dyes and stickers are arranged to mimic a look of a paint schemeof a fan's favorite driver.
 11. The cooler of claim 7 formed from one ormore materials selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl chloride,polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene
 12. The cooler of claim 7formed from thermoset or thermoplastic material.
 13. The cooler of claim7 further comprising an exterior formed from ballistic nylon or Corduranylon.